Machine-tool adapter



CL 4 F. E. NIEDERHISER 2,483,662-

MACHINE TOOL ADAPTER Filed March so, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

-ct 4, 1949. F. E. NIEDERHISER I 2,483,652

MACHINE TOOL ADAPTER Filed March 30, 1946 2' Sheet-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,483,662 MACHINE-TOOL ADAPTER Floyd E. Niederhiser, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 30, 1946, Serial No. 658,417?

2 Claims. (01. 279 1) My invention relates in general to machine tools, and more particularly to a power driven adapter for a wrench mechanism to operate a lathe chuck.

An object of my invention is to provide an adapter to transmit power from a driving power wrench to a chuck jaw adjusting member.

Another object of my invention is to provide a telescopin adapter 'insertable between a driven member and a driver member and extendable to engage the members and transmit power therebetween.

' Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a power driven shaft and my improved adapter in position to be inserted into a chuck jaw adjusting socket;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view similar to the Figure 5 with my improved adapter engaged with the chuck jaw adjusting socket;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of my improved adapter engaged in the chuck jaw adjusting socket, and with the adapter and chuck rotated to a position co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the power driven shaft; and

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the final steps in bringing my improved adapter into position to transmit power between the power driven shaft and the chuck adjusting socket.

My improved adapter is provided for the purpose of transmitting power between a power driven wrench shaft, and the jaw adjusting member of a lathe chuck. It is well known, among those familiar with machine shop practice, that hand tightening of lathe chucks is the cause of the drag in production that'comes as arms and bodies get weary from tugging at heavy wrenches. And the bigger the piece, the longer it takes and the earlier the fatigue drag 'sets in. My improved device for operating the lathe chuck has cut the time required for chucking in both the chucking and removing operations, and amounts, on some types of work, to as much as per cent saving over the hand method of chucking. My improved chucking method comprises a motor driven wrench, and an adapterv designed to fit the jaw adjusting member of the particular chuck being used, and engage the power driven wrench. This convenient device is readily put in place for operation to tighten or loosen the jaws. Also, the right hand is always free to insert or remove the work piece from between the clamping jaws. The entire operation requires but a fraction of the time needed for the same work with a hand wrench. Although the entire description of my device will be directed toward a lathe chuck, this is only one possible use out of many, and is understood to be only an illustration embodying the basic principle of the invention. Other uses to which this device has been put include operation with thread millers, pipe threading machines, boring mills, screw machines and vices. Many types of bench work and bolt tightening vcan also be accomplished with less labor and fatigue through the application of my invention.

In the drawing, I illustrate an embodiment of my invention as employed with a lathe. In

Figure 1 of the drawings, the lathe is represented by the reference character 25, and is equipped with a well-known type of chuck it having work engaging jaws 26. These jaws are operated by a lmechanism within the chuck it and the mechanism in turn is actuated by an adjusting socket member II. In this particular type of lathe chuck, all of the jaws 26 are operated members 11.

In the Figure 1, I illustrate an electrically operated power wrench l5 secured to the lathe 25 by a bracket arm 21 and bolts 28. The power driven wrench I5 is preferably mounted in relation to the chuck It with the longitudinal axis of rotation of the wrench directed substantially toward the center of rotation of the chuck l6. That is, the longitudinal axis about which the shaft M of the wrench l5 rotates, is extended toward the center of rotation of the chuck l6,

nd sub tantially coincides with the radius of the chuck it. Also, in this particular adaptation of the power wrench l5, the shaft 14 is positioned close to the peripheral surface of the chuck IE, but with a clearance space therebetween sufiicient to allow free turning of chuck IS during lathe operation. In the Figures 3 and 4, I illustrate my improved adapter used to transmit power from the power wrench shaft 14 to the adjusting socket member IT. This embodiment of my invention comprises a core [2 and a sleeve H. The core I2 is provided at one end thereof with a plug 13 to fit into the adjusting socket t'i' of the chuck IS. The sleeve 1 l is adapted to slide. upon the core l2 in a telescoping manner in order to extend the adapter It to engage the. respective driver and driven parts. A ball race I8 is provided in the core l2, and has two onlarged ends l9 and 28 therein to serve as'end: stations for a ball 2!. A runner 23 and a spring 22 are adjustably held against. the ball 2| by a set screw 24 to control the. tension of the ball 2|. in the. ball race !8. Thus, the. sleeve. H may betelescoped upon the core [2,. as. illustrated in the Figure 4, or. the sleeve l i. may be extended. to. en

gage the shaft. IA, as illustrated in. the. Figure 2. By the provision of. my improved adapter to, I am able to provide a power wrench which is so simple in construction and operation, that the power wrench may be readily adapted to almost any machine without. the necessity of expensive alteration or redesigning the. machine to employ the. power wrench. There are. no complicated moving parts requiring expensive upkeep, and the operation. is so extremely simple that the most. inexperienced. worker can. operate the wrench. with ease.

In the illustrated embodiment of my device, I. have shown the. core member l2 with a plug I3 thereon of smaller dimension than the remaining portion of the core.. Thus, the adapter to and the shaft M- are strengthened because of the increaseddimensions. That. is, I have provided a shaft I 4 of larger size than the socket member L1,. and accordingly have provided the core l2 with a. body portion '29. having. a cross-sectional configuration substantially duplicating that of theshaft M. Thus, theopening 3B- of the sleeve M will fit closely about the shaft It when the adapter it! is extended by moving the sleeve H to engage the shaft M... The. plug t3, on the: end of. the core I2 is relatively. short. in comparison to the over-all. length 015 the: adapter Ill, and therefore will. withstand a. considerably greater amount of torque stressv than a piece of similar cross-sectional dimension and longer. length With this improved adapter, the. top; surface ofthe body portion 2.9- of the core. l2 and the surfaces of the opening 3!] in. the sleeve H, will form a shaft. engaging, socket when; the. sleeve is moved longitudinally with respecttothe core. l2 toengage the shaft l4. Thus, the. adapter Ill will provide a convenient power wrench engagin portion, as well as an engaging portion. for the chuck jaw adjusting member. It is understood; of course, that the engaging: portions described could be readily provided in other conveni'ent forms to engage either projecting or recessed driving and driver members as desired.

In the Figures to 8, I illustrate diagrammatically the mode of operation of my improved adapter in transmitting power from the wrench shaft M to the adjusting socket II. In Figure 5, the adapter plug i3 is in position to enter into the adapter socket H. The sleeve H is tel'escoped 4 upon the core l2 with the ball 2! resting in the end station 20 of the ball race I8.

In the Figure 6, the adapter Ill has been positioned with the plu I 3 in the adapter l1, and the chuck 6 with the adapter in positioned thereon is moved in the direction of the arrow to position the adapter It] in alignment with the shaft M.

In the Figure 7-, the.- chuck" it and; the adapter to: have been moved into a position of alignment with the shaft M. The sleeve l l is then extended to engage the shaft M, as illustrated in the Figure 8* When the sleeve H is extended and brought into driving engagement with the shaft E141, the sleeve: II and the core [2 remain overlapped over a. considerable portion of their length, in order that driving torque may be transmitted from the shaft [4 to the sleeve H and transmitted thereby to the core l2. The core. L2 then in turn transmits. the. driving torque to the socket member II. In the position illustrated in the Figures 2. and 8,. the adapter. Ill may be used to either tighten or loosen the. jaws. 26 by turnin the socket, I] in. the clockwiseor counter-clockwise. direction.

Although. I have described my invention. with a certain degree of particularity in its preferred form, it is understood thatthe. present disclosure of, the. preferred form. has beenmade only by way of example and that. numerous. changes the details of construction and the combination. and arrangement of parts may be resorted to. without departing from. the spirit and the scope. of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is;

1. A power transmission adapter to transmit driving. power from a. power wrench shaft. to a rotatable tightening, socket of a. holding. device, said, adapter comprising a. core member and a sleeve. member,. said. core member having a. plug portion. and a body portion, said core plug, portion. having a polygonal crossssectional configura tio'n and being insertable in said socket. to.v drive the socket, said body portion having a. polygonal cross-sectionai configurationof greater areathan said. plug portion, said adapter sleeve member having an opening therethrough said sleeve. be.- ing slidably mounted. on said core. body portion with the opening therethrough adapted to closely receive said-core. body portion, meam to. limitthe extent of the sliding movement of the sleeve. with respect to saidcore body portion saidsleeveopeni'ng and the end of the, core body portion. form.- ing a wrench shaft. receiving socket of polygonal configurationwhen said sleeve slidably extends with respect to said. core. whereby the. adapter may, be placed with the said core plug portion. in the. rotatable. tightening socket. and the. sleeve extended. to form the said receiving socket and engage the wrench shaft in. drive receiving. relationship.

2'. A power transmission adapter to transmit driving. power iron. a power wrench. shaft, to a rotatable tightening socket of a holding device, said adapter comprising. a, core member and a sleeve member,. said core member having. a plug portion and. a body portion, said. core. plug. portion havinga cross-sectional configuration. adapted to. be insertedin said socket to. drive the socket, said body portion having, a. CJIGSSrSGGfiQIlflIlconfiguration. of greater area. than said plug: portion, said adapter, sleeve member having; an opening therethrough, said, sleeve being slidably mounted on said core. body portionwiththe opening there through adapted to closely receive said core body 2,483,662 5 6 portion, means to limit the extent of the sliding REFERENCES CITED movement of the sleeve with respect to said core The following references are of record in the body portion, said sleeve opening and the end of file of this patent: the core body portion forming a wrench shaft receiving socket when said sleeve slidably extends 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS with respect to said core, whereby the adapter Number Name Date m y b placed with the said core plug portion 1,259,603 Comm Mar 19, 1918 in the rotatable tightening socket and the sleeve 1,269,413 Finnigan June 11) 1918 ex ended to form the said receiving socket and 1,823,426 Ferris Sept 15, 1931 ngage the wrench shaft in drive receiving I'ela- 10 2,006,913 Conley July 2: 1935 tionshlp- 1 2,249,240 Groene et a1 July 15, 1941 FLOYD E. NIEDERHISER. 

